Aeroplane assuring automatically the lateral and longitudinal stability



Apr, 17, 1923. msmm J. 'DEHOUCK AEROPLANE ASSURING AUTOMATICALLY THE LATERAL AND LONGITUDINAL STABILITY F iled Aug 17 1921 i gmwvifoa: M

Patented Apr. 17, 1923. 1

UNITED sraras Parser @Fi ifit'fa.

JOSEPH DEHOUGK, OF THIELT, BELGIUM.

AEROPLANE ASSURING AUTOMATICALLY THE LATERAL AND LONGI'IUDINAL STABILITY.

Application filed. August 17, 1921. Serial No. 493,109.

(GRANTED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF THE ACT OF MARCH 3, 1921, 41 STAT. L., 1313.)

To all whom it maycomem: horizontal axis with relation to the third Be it known that I, Josnrrr DEHOUCK, a part.

subject of the King of the Belgians, residing The invention is illustrated in the accomat Thielt, Belgium, have invented an Impanying drawings-by way of example, in

5 proved Aeroplane Assuring Automatically which:

the Lateral and Longitudinal Stability, for Fig. "1 is afront elevation of the aero which I have filed' applications in Great plane.

Britain, 118,049, Jan. 1 8, 1918; France, Fig. 2 is a plan thereof and Fig. 8 is a side 84,005,. June 9, 1916; Belgian, Patent elevation of the same.

10 265,003, Feb. 2, 1914:, and of which the fol- Fig. 4k is a vertical transverse section lowing is a-s'pecificationi through the two rings on the line A-B of The object of the present invention is to Fig. 2.

construct an improved aeroplane having au- In the drawings the same letters of refertomatic stability in two directions, the one once indicate like parts.

5 longitudinal and the other lateral. This a indicates an axle, bthe motor, 0 an exapparatus has the qualities of maximum and terior ring, cl an interior. ring, e bearings, minimum speed and flies regularly in a the steering rudder, g the horizontal rudline either horizontally, ascending or deder, it part of the under carriage, i tension scending, without successive bounds and not wires, j the running wheels, the fuselage,

20 following a sinuous line. Z the running or landing skid. m the planes The invention relates to that type of aeroor wings, a the propeller, 0 the axle of the plane specially constructed to ensure staunning wheels, 19 the seat. 'bility in which the carrying planes are The two concentric rings 0 and (Z fit one mounted upona vertically disposedpivot or in the other with rotary movement upon 25 axis, or on a turntable. and are free to OS- balls, see Fig. 4:.- At each of two opposite cillate' on the pivot, axis orturntable, inde point-s upon the interior ring (Z is fixed -a pen dently of the body of the machine, 510- bearing a, at those points where the axle a,

cording to the direction of the air pressure. of th under frame or carriage engages in 7'5 lm such machines it has been proposed the said bearings.

to mount the propeller on a horizontal shaft The principal carrying surfaces in are of carried by the body, to provide the body dihedral form, or very open V shaped, and

with a vertical axle, and to pivot the plane sloping slightly backwards, with little wings horizontally on top of said axle; It has also fo righting purposes. These carrying surbeen proposed in such machines to employ'a faces m are fixed upon the exterior ring 0.

dihedral angled plane having the tips- Or 1 The chassisor fuselage 7c is fixed to the outer parts laterally higher than the middle. inner ring (Z. The under frame 7 i 1 According to the present invention the pended by means of and rigidly fixed to the machine consists of three parts: the transverse axle a. the rotation'of which only 8 planes, '(2) the fuselage or main frame with "takes place from front to back and vicethe controllingparts, such as the horizontal versa. The shaft upon which is fixed the and steeringrudders and the landing skid, propeller n is mounted in bearings con- "and (3 the under frame or running part nected rigidly with espect to the said axle carrying'thepropeller shaft, 'engine, seat and a. This shaft forms an angle of with 90 wheels The first part may move automatian imaginary line passing simultaneously cally'fon a vertical axis with relation to the through the axle a. and the centre of gravity second and third parts, and the first and of the whole apparatus. It is connected disecond parts may move automatically on a root with the rotary 'or other motor I). The

car 70 or suspension frame, with the running gear 0, 7', supports the pilot, the observer, the control levers, and various accessories.

The fuselage or main frame is carries the controlling parts, that is to say, the horizontal rudder g and steering rudder f.

From this arrangement it results that the principal carrying surfaces m, with the two rings a, (Z, and the fuselage 70, have a longitudinal tilting movement in view of the changing of the angle of attack, a. movement totally independent of the lower frame 7i. The Wings m have a rotary movement with the exterior ring directly independent of the lower frame it and of the fuselage 7a. This longitudinal tilting movement is obtained by adjusting the fuselage 7c, partly by hand and partly automatically, which causes the two rings 0, (Z, to tilt longitudinally and at the same time the wings an attached to the exterior ring 0. This movement is effected around the axle a by means of the two bearings e carried by the interior ring at.

The fuselage I: has, in addition to the longitudinal tilting movement with the two wings m, a rotary movement with the interior ring d.

The under or running frame it has also a possible longitudinal movement. but as the centre of gravity of the suspending means It is always below the axle a of attachment, its position remains invariable. The slight movement of the under or running frame which might take place due to the resistance of the air, may be advantageously corrected either by a very pointed body or by a horizontal plane attached rigidly to the back part of the under frame, or by a dash pot arrangement. If the under frame swings backwards, the air.acting on the'upper surface of the horizontal plane will tend to right the frame. If the under frame swings forwards, the air acting on the under surface of the horizontal plane will tend to right the frame. Further, this possible movement, which is already small, would be diminished by the gyroscopic force of the motor and of the propeller.

The lateral movement of the fame is controlled by the steering rudder This movement is obtained by the rotation of the fuselage it with the under frame 72 and interior ring at in the exterior ring 0.

The propeller n has a horizontal traction which is independent of the longitudinal and lateral movements of the wings Its latera'lposition is,however. controlled only by the steering rudder 7, which, as already stated, controls the lateral position of the fuselage kl Automatic adjustment. Once the horizontal rudder is fixed, the

fuselage will maintain itself in a position of automatic equilibrium with the two rings and the wings, without it being possible to upset the longitudinal equilibrium, so that without further intervention of the horizontal rudder, the fuselage will retain its position and the apparatus, without any intervention, will continue to rise, descend, or to travel horizontally.

In like manner, once the steering rudder is fixed by the wires in the stop notches, the fuselage will maintain itself in an invariable lateral position, and the apparatus will turn continually in the same curve.

Manual adjustment.

In order to rise more or descend more, and the inverse, or to turn more quickly, or the inverse, it is necessary to change'the horizontal and steering rudders and the fuselage takes up a new corresponding position, which it retains indefinitely if the controls are not changed.

The controls do not operate automatically but by manual adjustment and'they are not necessary for the automatic stability of the apparatus. i i

The effect due simultaneously to the direct independence of the propeller longitudinally and laterally, and to the longitudinal and lateral movement of the wings having the form herein before described and shown in the drawings, assures the automatic longitudinal and lateral stability 'of the apparatus.

I claim:

1. In an improved aeroplane having automatic longitudinal and lateral stability, the combination of: a substantially horizontal outer ring carrying the wings; an inner ring having the fuselage secured thereto, mounted concentrically within saidouter ring and capable of rotation about a central vertical axis in relation to such outer ring; a pair of diametrally opposed bearings on the underside of said inner ring; and a tranverse axle, carrying the propeller shaft rotatablv supported in said bearings and having the under-carriage pivotally suspended thereto, said transverse axle extending at right angles to the longitudinal axis, and through the centre of gravity of the aeroplane; substantially as described.

2. In an improved aeroplane having automatic longitudinal and lateral stability the combination of: a substantially horizontal outer ring having an inner circular grooved recess and carrying the wings; opposed ball races formed in said circular recess; a rotatable concentric inner ring carrying the fuselage and having an outer circular flange engaging the aforesaid circular grooved recess of the outer ring; two sets of steel balls cooperating with the aforesaid opposed ballraces to form ball-bearings for the two pended thereto, said transverse axle extendsides of the said circular flange of the inner ing at right angles to the longitudinal axis ring; apair of diametrally opposed bearings and through the centre of gravity of the 10 on the underside of said inner ring; and a aeroplane; substantially as described. transverse axle, carrying the propeller shaft, In testimony thereof I signed hereunto rotatably supported in said bearings and my name.

having the under-carriage pivotally sus- J DEHOUCK. 

